Violin rest



R. H. HEIMERSI VIOLIN REST Sept. 15, 1953 Filed July 25, 1949 INVENTOR.nuoouw H. HE/MERS Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEVIOLIN RES-T Rudolph H.v Heimers, Coronado, Calif.

Application July 25, 1949, Serial No. 106,563,

3 Claims.

My'invention relates to a violin rest, more particularly for use inaiding the violinist in maintaining his violin in certain playingposition, and the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a violin rest of this class which fixes thetrans-verse angle of inclination of a violin in conformance to thenatural playing attitude of a violinist, whereby uniformity of positionmay be maintained at all times, either during the playing of violin insitting or standing position;

Second, to provide a violin rest of this class which engages the scrollof a violin at the end thereof, and maintains the proper angle ofinclination of the violin, so that the properrelaxed position of thefingers of the violinist upon the finger board and the respective arm ofthe violinist, is promoted;

Third, to provide a violin rest of this class having very simple andpositive means for ad- Justing the angl of inclination of a violin whenin playing position, whereby different attitudes of different violinistsmay be accommodated;

Fourth, to provide a violin rest of this class having novel adjustingclutch means for maintaining certain fixed positions of the violin restwith respect to the desired angle of inclination of the instrument to beplayed in engagement with said rest;

Fifth, to provide a violin rest of this class which is particularlyadapted for use in training student violinists in the proper positionfor playing with respect to a certain angle of inclination of theinstrument;

Sixth, to provide a violin rest of this class which is very readily andeasily adjusted vertically to accommodate violinists in either sittingor standing position; and

Seventh, to provide a violin rest of this class which is very simple andeconomical of construction, efiicient in operation, and which will notreadily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, myinvention consists of certain novel features of construction,combination and arrangement of parts and portions, as will behereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in theappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and tothe characters of reference thereon, forming a part of this application,in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of my violin rest, showing aviolin engaging the same and the relative position of a violinistplaying the violin; Fig. 2 is a perspective view, similar to Fig. 1showing the complete structure of my violin rest, and illustrating bydash lines the hanging position of the violin and the bow when not inuse; Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of my violin rest; Fig. 4 is anenlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken from the line 44 of Fig. 3;Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken from the line5-5 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view,taken from the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portionsthroughout the several views of the drawing.

The base I, pedestal 2, post 3, clamp bolt 4-, bow hanger 5, casing 6,scroll-engaging socket member 1, Clutch plate 8, clutch face plates 9and I0, bolt II, head bearing I2, pin I3, clutch arm I4, upholstery I5,hinge I6, latch I1, and the instrument hanger I8, constitute theprincipal parts and portions of my violinrest.

The base I is a fiat plate-like member, having a foot rest upper surfaceportion Ia, on which the violinistfis foot may be placed when instanding position, and this base I is also provided with a chair legreceiving recess lb, which is adapted to receive the left front leg of achair in which the violinist sits when playing in sitting position.Fixed to the base I is the hinge I6, which connects the pedestal 2 inpivotal relationship with the base I. The pedestal is provided with anupright post 2, having laterally extending leg portions 2a, and 2b. Thehinge I6 is fixed to the leg portion 21), near the bottom of thepedestal 2, and the latch H, which is a conventional cup,- board latch,or the like, engages the leg 2a of the pedestal 2 for fastening the samein connection with the base I, against pivotal movement of the pedestal2 about the axis of the hinge I6.

Extending from the pedestal 2 considerably above the base I, on which itrests, is the clamp bolt 4. This clamp bolt 4 is provided with a wingnut 4a, on its extending externally screwthreaded end, which is adaptedto clamp the post 3 in certain elevated position on the pedestal 2. Thispost 3 is provided with a vertically disposed longitudinal slot 3a,through which said clamp bolt 4 extends, all as shown best in Figs. 2and 6 of the drawings. Secured to the post 3 by means of the wing nut 4ais the bow hanger 5, on which the violin bow may be supported when notin use. Secured to the clamp bolt 4 is the instrument hanger I8, asshown in Fig. '2\ of the drawings, which is a simple loop of flexiblematerial, through which the scroll of a violin may be positioned, asshown by dash lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings;

Fixed to the upper end of the post 3 is the casing 6, which casing 6 isprovided with a cylindrical portion 6a, and a back plate 6b, all inrigid fixed relationship with the post 3. Revolubly mounted in thecylindrical portion 6a is the scroll-engaging socket member I. Thisscrollengaging socket member I is provided with an obtuse conical recessportion la, having a substantially rectangular recess portiontransversely thereof, which is designated 'Ib, and which extends to agreater depth than the obtuse apex of the conical recess Ta, all asshown best in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Positioned at the bottom of thetransverse recess lb is the head bearing l2, which engages the head ofthe bolt I I, which is revolubly fixed in the back plate 61) of thecasing 6 by means of the pin I3 in the slot 66:. Thebolt I iI islongitudinally adjustable by means of. the nutv Ila, externallyscrew-threaded" thereon, providing for the compression of thescroll-engaging. socket member I againstithe clutch plate 8, and theface plates 9 and Ill, at.-opposite sides thereof.

As shown in Fig. ,4, it will be seen thatthe. clutch plate Iflis of.smaller diameter andreduced areav compared to the clutch face plate 9,and this face plate It engages the member 6b of. the casing 6, whiletheclutch face plate 9, is interposed between the clutch plate 8 and thescroll.- engaging socket member I; Fixed to, the clutch. plate 8 is theclutch and I4, which is movably mounted in a slot Ed in the casing6,.all asshown best in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The normally lower end ofthe clutch arm I4 is provided with'a loop portion Ma, which engages theslot 311' of the post 3, for maintaining the scroll-engagingsocketmember l in certain fixedrelationship to. the vertical orhorizontal, as desired, whereby the recess To is disposed at a: certaininclinationangle, as desired by the violinistfor the maintenance of hisinstrument in proper playingposition, according to his requirements.

The outer face of the scroll-engaging socket member I is provided withsoft upholstering l5, having inwardly disposed skirtportions: I511,compressively secured on the outer sides of theLscrollengaging socketmember 'I' by means of rubber hands Ib, which force theupholst'eryrskirt ISa into an" annular groove portion ictperipherally'of thescroll-engaging socket member I.

The operation of my violin rest is'substantially as follows: It'is to behere noted that the casing 6; together with the scroll-engaging socketmember I, clutch plate 8, clutch facings 9 and I0; bolt H, andcooperative parts, may be fixed to awall or the like, without using thepost 3, pedestal 2, orother supporting means, if desired. When aviolinist is desirous of employing my violin rest, as shown in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings; he rests a foot on the foot engaging surface Ia'ofthe baseI, and places the scroll of his violin in the conical recess la of thescroll-engaging socket member I, whereupon bearing of the scroll isaccomplished normal to the inwardly extending recess lb; which bearstransversely ofv the are or curveatthe end of theviolin scroll. Inorderto, adjust thescrollzengaging socket member I revolubly of. theaxisof the bolt II, to, accommodate the particular angleof inclinationdesired by the violinist, the nut I Ia. on the bolt II may be loosened,and the clutch face plate 9 may be'slidably adjusted-revolubly until therecess 1?) is at the desired angle relative to the horizontal. may betightened, forcing frictional engagement of the'clutch face plates 9 andI0 with the clutch. plate tend the scroll-engaging socket member I.

The nut I Ia then The revoluble adjustment of the scrollengaging socketmember I about the axis of the bolt II may then be accomplished byshifting the clutch arm l4, whereupon the clutch face plate I0 slides,while the clutch face plate 9 maintains fixed relationship of thescroll-engaging socket member 1 relative to the clutch plate 8, causingthe scroll-engaging socket member 1 to concisely follow the rotarymotion of the clutch plate 8, controlled by the clutch arm M. Thisclutch arm I4 is resilient, and the loop Ida thereof may be disengagedfrom the slot 3a in the post 3 by deflecting the same outwardly. When itis desired to employ my violin rest by violinists in the sittingposition, the chair of the violinist rests with one leg thereof in therecess lb of the base I, lending stability, tothe pedestal 2 whichsupports the scroll-engaging socket member I. When it is desiredltocollapse my violin rest, the latch I1 is released, permitting thepedestal 2 to be hinged into adjacentrclationship withtheupper surfaceIa of the base I, which renders said violin. rest substantiallyportable.

It will be notedthat weight may be added to'the pedestal 2 at, itslowerend, which would eliminate the necessityof bearing on the base Iwith either the foot or a chair-leg. lhus, the base might be eliminatedor reducedin size.

When playing in the standing position, aviolinistmay leave the leftfront, leg of 'thechair' in the recess lb of the base I, and pivotallyshift thesame-toward the pedestal 2', so that the player need not holdthe base, I: with hisfoot.

Though I- have shown and, described. a particular construction,combination. and" arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wishito-belimited tothis particular constructioncombination and arrangement, butdesire :t'oinclude in the scope of my inventionthe construction,combination and arrangement. substantially asset" forth. in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described myinvention', what]: claim as new and desire tosecure byLetters Patent: is:

l. A violinrest consisting off a scroll-engaging socket memberhavingarecessed socket portion providedwith opposed side wallsengageable: with opposite sides of a violin scroll at its extremity;means for supporting the same, said scroll-engaging socket memberpivotally-adjustable on-a'horizontal axis substantially parallel 'to thel'ongitu dinal axis of a violin when engaging said socket member, aclutch intermediate sa-id'scroll-engaging socket, member and said means,and anarm in connectionwith saidcl'utchforpivotally"shifting saidscroll-engaging socket member,

2. A violin rest consisting of a scroll-engaging socket member having arecessedtsocket: portion provided with opposed side walls engageablewith opposite sides of a violin. scroll at its extremity, means forsupporting the same,.including a horizontally disposed boltsubstantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of a violin whenengaging said socket member, on which said scroll'engaging socket memberis pivotally mounted,.aclutch. for fixing said scroll-engaging socketmember.- relative to said means for supporting. thesame, said clutchincluding a clutch plate, having a clutch facing thereon adjacent saidscroll-engaging socket member,and asecond clutch facing on the oppositeside thereof of lesser area than thefirst-mentioned clutch plate,engageablewith said means for supporting said scroll-engaging. socketmember, whereby said second clutch. facing ismovable during seizureofsaid first clutch facing with said clutch plate and said scrollengagingsocket member.

3. In a violin rest consisting of a scroll-engaging socket member havinga recessed socket portion provided with opposed side walls engageablewith opposite sides of a violin scroll at its extremity, means forsupporting the same, said scroll-engaging socket member pivotallymounted on saidmeans on a horizontal axis substantially parallel to thelongitudinal axis of a violin when engaging said socket member, saidscroll-engaging socket member having a conical recess portion therein,said conical recess portion being obtuse and having a secondary centralrectangular recess extending beyond the apex of said obtuse conicalrecess.

RUDOLPH H. HEIMERS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberNumber Name Date Schenk Mar. 10, 1896 Pierce Mar. 30, 1897 Aubry et alOct. 19, 1926 Campion July 22, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date GermanyAug. 6, 1909

